Good Fight
by Petchricor
Summary: Shepard doesn't eat, sleep and keeps getting pissed at herself when people die on missions, if she can't save them all and one young Krogan decides to call her out on it


**I've gotten into the Mass Effect games, just got done playing the second game and it's badass. Anyway, when I was on Horizon I took Grunt with me and when I mentioned how we didn't save anyone he told me it was 'a good fight' and his tone made me think he was trying, in his own little way, to make me feel better. So, I expanded on that a little Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Shepard walked out of the drop ship, the tensity in her step not going unnoticed by the Turian and Krogan that stepped out behind her, and yanked her helmet off her head which left her red hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Garrus and Grunt looked at each other, neither one sure what had just happened or why, then turned back to watch Shepard step into the elevator then disappear behind the closing doors with a furious expression on her face. Garrus sighed and shook his head, taking off his own helmet and following the commanders lead and heading up to his room, but Grunt stood there with a confused look on his face. Why had Shepard been so angry? They had won, they beat the Collectors to their goal and kicked their asses, haha! Sure, they lost a few humans in the process but-oh. Grunt frowned as he remembered how important is was to Shepard that they get everyone out, it wasn't possible to do so of course but she always seemed to get miffed when she couldn't do it. It was kind of like when he thought he failed his Rite of Passage, perhaps with was the same? Hmm...<p>

AΩ

Shepard downed the rest of the beer in her hand and tossed the empty can into the trash pale, hitting it directly and smirked a bit. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, she wasn't drunk but she was awfully tired. The mission had taken it's toll on her and she even though she knew she shouldn't she was beating herself up over not getting everyone out. She could have if she had been a little faster but she had stopped to help that man find his family, sure that was important but she lost so many lives that day because she took the time to help him. Goddamnit, why hadn't she let the authorities take care of it? Shepard was thrown out of her thoughts as someone knocked on her door, well not exactly knocked more like trying to knock it down. She sighed, the last thing she needed was to deal with Grunt ranting on about his killings that day but she wasn't about to turn him down either.

"It's open," she called out, sitting up in her chair and rubbing her face in the hope that she didn't look as tired as she felt.

**POV Change**

When Grunt entered the room he knew his battlemaster was trying to hide how tired she was, her eyes had a grayness about them that told him loud and clear she wasn't sleeping. Humans could be so weak without sleep and food, why did she avoid both so much? Even someone as tough as his battlemaster had to know their weaknessess as well, right? Probably being stubborn, his battlemaster was like that sometimes. Shepard raised a brow at him, questioning his silence.

"Anything you need, Grunt?" she asked, trying to hide the irritated tone under a curious one but Grunt heard it loud and clear.

"Why don't you eat, battlemaster?" _Why had he said that?! He meant to thank her for the battle today and tell her how much he enjoyed it, not treat her like an average human weakling! Now he looked disrespectful, he was sure to be kicked off the ship for this!_ Shepard blinked at Grunt blankly, thinking to herself. Grunt resisted the urge to shift in his mental panic over his words.

"I have a lot of work to do," Shepard replied with a shrug, a human sign of indifference. "I don't have time to eat in-between battles and reports." Grunt grunted and looked at Shepard in thought, taking her reply in for a moment before he decided to respond.

"Why not eat while doing reports?" Grunt asked/suggested. _What was he doing? Surely she would call him out for his disrespect this time._ Shepard merely blinked again, as if surprised. Her arms uncrossed and hung at her sides in a relaxed fashion.

"I prefer not to get food all over my data pad," she responded flatly, a tone he had learned to be 'sarcastic'.

"You don't sleep either," Grunt noted, deciding that he was digging his grave anyway so making it deeper wouldn't really matter. "Battlemaster, even you must see your weaknesses, humans don't operate well without sleep and food, you know this. Why do you avoid them?" Shepard stared at Grunt, blinking once very slowly. Grunt shifted slightly but stopped himself mid-motion in the hopes that she hadn't noticed.

"Stress," she answered bluntly, crossing her arms again. "This fight isn't anywhere near over yet and that means everyone on this ship is in danger, that's a lot of lives to worry about." Grunt nodded slowly, he didn't personally understand the need to protect others' lives but he did understand that Shepard cared deeply for the lives of her crew and team and that was enough. "Thank you, for asking though." It was Grunt's turn to blink in surprise now. He wasn't going to be thrown off the ship? "And thanks for the help down on the planet." She sighed and walked back towards her desk. "I'll talk to you later." Grunt nodded and headed for the door, but stopped short and turned to her.

"Battlemaster," he said slowly, getting the human female to turn to him. "It was a good fight." She nodded to him and he nodded back, walking out into the elevator and back down to the cargo hold.

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap. Also, the next chapter for Monsters Under the Bed should be out soon. That's right, I'm not finished with it yet.<br>**

**Thanks for reading, please review, and have a bow chicka bow wow day  
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**Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)**


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